Pump jack pole brace latch and method

ABSTRACT

A pump jack pole brace. The brace comprises a U-shaped yoke member having a first leg and a second leg. The brace includes a latch plate assembly having a first side slidably and pivotably attached to the first leg, and a second side having a tab which engages with the second leg to form a closed envelope with the yoke. A method for securing a pole for use of a pump jack system.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a pump jack pole brace. Morespecifically, the present invention is related to a pump jack pole bracehaving a latch plate assembly having a first side slidably and pivotablyattached to a yoke member, and a second side having a tab which engageswith the yoke to form a closed envelope with the yoke.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A pump jack pole brace is used to support a pole vertically while thepump jack system is in use. The brace is used to secure the pole and tohold the pole at a specified distance from the work surface. The bracelatch is used to grip the pole and keep the pole sturdy during use.

One design presently in production consists of a primarily U-shaped yokemember for accepting the pole, a plate pivotally attached to the yokemember for closing the opening in the yoke member, a latch memberpivotally attached to the plate for keeping the plate in position and athreaded member for tightening the plate against the pole. This designis difficult to operate without having two hands free while attachingthe brace to the pole and requires a number of unnecessary parts. Theuse of the unnecessary parts adds cost and labor to the manufacturingprocess.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a pump jack pole brace. The bracecomprises a U-shaped yoke member having a first leg and a second leg.The brace comprises a latch plate assembly having a first side slidablyand pivotably attached to the first leg, and a second side having a tabwhich engages with the second leg to form a closed envelope with theyoke.

The present invention pertains to a method for securing a pole for useof a pump jack system. The method comprises the steps of pivoting alatch plate assembly about a first leg of a yoke member from an openposition about the pole to a partially closed position about the pole.There is the step of sliding the assembly forward to a second leg of themember relative to the first leg into a fully closed position about thepole wherein a tab of the assembly is inserted into a yoke slot of themember.

The present invention pertains to a method for securing a pole for useof a pump jack system. The method comprises the steps of placing a braceabout the pole. There is the step of securing the brace to the poleusing only one hand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred embodiment of the inventionand preferred methods of practicing the invention are illustrated inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a side view of a brace of thepresent invention with the latch assembly open.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a side view of the brace of thepresent invention with the latch assembly closed but with the tab notengaged with the yoke.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a side view of the brace of thepresent invention with the latch assembly closed and with the tabengaged with the yoke.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a perspective view of the yoke.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a perspective view of the braceof the present invention with the latch assembly closed and with the tabengaged with the yoke.

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a perspective view of the braceof the present invention with the latch assembly open.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a perspective view of the bracein conjunction with a pump jack and pole.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a brace with a rivet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer tosimilar or identical parts throughout the several views, and morespecifically to FIGS. 4 and 5 thereof, there is shown a pump jack 24pole 22 brace 20. The brace 20 comprises a U-shaped yoke member 1 havinga first leg 8 and a second leg 9. The brace 20 comprises a latch plateassembly 3 having a first side 10 slidably and pivotably attached to thefirst leg 8, and a second side 11 having a tab 4 which engages with thesecond leg 9 to form a closed envelope 12 with the yoke.

Preferably, the assembly includes a tensioner 15 for tightening theassembly against the poles 22. The first leg 8 preferably has anattachment portion for attaching the assembly to the yoke. Preferably,the brace 20 includes means for attaching the first side 10 to theattachment portion.

The tab 4 is preferably fixed in a permanent position to the second side11. Preferably, the tensioner 15 includes a threaded handle 7. Theattachment portion preferably includes a hinge barrel 2. Preferably, thesecond leg 9 includes a yoke slot 5 in which the tab 4 engages to formthe closed envelope 12. The first side 10 preferably includes ahorizontal slot 6 through which the attachment means extends to attachthe member to the assembly. Preferably, the assembly includes a topthrough which the threaded assembly extends, a first side 10 connectedto the top having the horizontal slot 6, and a second side 11 connectedto the top having another horizontal slot 13 in alignment with thehorizontal slot 6. The attachment means preferably includes a bolt 14.Alternately, the attachment means includes a rivet 16, as shown in FIG.8.

The present invention pertains to a method for securing a pole 22 foruse of a pump jack 24 system. The method comprises the steps of pivotinga latch plate assembly 3 about a first leg 8 of a yoke member 1 from anopen position about the pole 22 to a partially closed position about thepole 22. There is the step of sliding the assembly forward to a secondleg 9 of the member relative to the first leg 8 into a fully closedposition about the pole 22 wherein a tab 4 of the assembly is insertedinto a yoke slot 5 of the member. Preferably, there is the step oftightening a threaded handle 7 that extends through the assembly againstthe pole 22.

The present invention pertains to a method for securing a pole 22 foruse of a pump jack 24 system. The method comprises the steps of placinga brace 20 about the pole 22. There is the step of securing the brace 20to the pole 22 using only one hand.

In the operation of the invention, the latch mechanism is described thatovercomes the faults described in the Background of the Invention. Thelatch mechanism provides the ability to easily attach the brace 20 tothe pole 22 using only one hand and eliminates a number of parts toimprove the cost and labor during the manufacturing process.

A latch has been designed for a brace 20 that is used for mounting poles22 in both aluminum and steel pump jack 24 systems for support against awall 26, as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the latch designconsists of a primarily U-shaped yoke member 1 with an integrally formedhinge barrel 2, a latch plate assembly 3 with an integrally formed latchtab 4 and a means to attach the assembly and the member together. Thelatch plate assembly 3 also contains a threaded handle 7 for tighteningthe latch plate assembly 3 against the pole 22. The yoke member 1contains a yoke slot 5 on the end opposite the hinge barrel 2 and thelatch plate assembly 3 contains horizontal slots 6 and 13 for sliding onthe yoke member 1. The latch plate assembly 3 is pivotally attached tothe yoke member 1.

FIG. 1 shows the latch plate assembly 3 in the open position to allowthe brace 20 to be installed around the pole 22. FIG. 2 shows the latchplate assembly 3 in a partially closed position and FIG. 3 shows thelatch plate assembly 3 in the fully closed position. The process oflatching and unlatching the brace 20 shown in FIGS. 1-3 can beaccomplished with one hand, which allows the other hand of the user tobe available for maintaining balance while attaching the brace 20. Theassembly of the brace 20 latch to the pole 22 involves pivoting thelatch plate assembly 3 from the open position in FIG. 1 to the partiallyclosed position shown in FIG. 2. The latch plate assembly 3 is then slidinto the fully closed position shown in FIG. 3, wherein the latch tab 4is inserted into the yoke slot 5 of the yoke member 1. The threadedhandle 7 is then tightened against the pole 22 to lock the latch tab 4in place and keep it from moving.

FIG. 4 shows the primarily U-shaped yoke component 1 with integrallyformed hinge barrel 2. By integrally forming the hinge barrel 2 into theyoke 1, it is taught that an additional component and means to attachthe additional component are not required. Additionally, the integrallyformed hinge barrel 2 allows for optimal process control inmanufacturing the brace 20 assembly and reduces potential qualityissues.

Although the invention has been described in detail in the foregoingembodiments for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood thatsuch detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be madetherein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention except as it may be described by thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pump jack pole brace comprising: an intergrallyformed U-shaped yoke member having a first leg and a second leg that ispositioned about the pole during use and a latch plate assembly having afirst side slidably and pivotably attached to the first leg, and asecond side having a tab which engages with the second leg to form aclosed envelope with the yoke in which the pole is disposed to keep thepole sturdy during use, wherein the tab is fixed in a permanent positionto the second side and the second leg includes a yoke slot in which thetab engages to form the closed envelope, the assembly includes atensioner which includes a threaded handle for tightening the assemblyagainst the poles, wherein the first leg has an attachment portion whichincludes a hinge barrel for attaching the assembly to the yoke,including attachment means for attaching the first side to the hingebarrel, wherein the attachment means includes one of a bolt and a rivet,wherein the assembly includes a top through which the threaded handleextends, a first side connected to the top and having the horizontalslot, and a second side connected to an opposite side of the top havinganother horizontal slot in alignment with the horizontal slot, whereinthe attachment means extends through the horizontal slot and the anotherhorizontal slot to attach the U-shaped yoke member to the latch plateassembly in a pivotable and slidable hinge connection.